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Explain why carbon is called ""the backbone"" molecule of organic chemistry and why organic molecules couldn't easily be based on h or o instead.

User Neezer
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Carbon is the backbone as all life forms are based on carbon compounds hence everything being known as a carbon based life form. Everything in organic chemistry involves carbon. It also has a high catenation tendency.
Oxygen doesn’t contain carbon or hydrogen so it is not considered organic.

Hope this helps.
User Irco
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